TOTAL FundsforWriters - November 21, 2014

Published: Fri, 11/21/14

Volume 14, Issue 47 | november 21, 2014

Message from the Editor

Attended a Christmas market at my local recreation center last weekend. It's where I work out and I wanted to support them, so I manned a table with my books. Can you believe that I was the only author there? Had me really scratching my head why others were not in attendance. The result was that I sold LOTS of books. Don't think other authors have to be at an event to justify you being there. Frankly, the odds are better for your sales if you are the lone ranger.

Editor, FundsforWriters

Email Hope | Visit Website

Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326

FFW has proudly been on the Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers list every year since 2001

Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests and grants although research is done to the best of our ability.

WEBSITE - http://www.chopeclark.com

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark

ABOUT.ME - http://about.me/hopeclark

GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark

PINTEREST - http://www.pinterest.com/chopeclark

SOUNDCLOUD - https://soundcloud.com/hopeclark

iTUNES - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/c.-hope-clark/id885577265

Read the Newsletter Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Hey folks! Remember the Charleston, SC conference I raved about last year? I've never been so excited about a conference in my life than I was with that one. I will be there. Will you?

FundsforWriters readers can use code FFW2015 when signing up for the conference. That will entitle them to a 10% discount off VIP or Basic registration. Discount will be reflected at check-out.
http://www.pubsensesummit.com/

Editor's THOUGHTS

PUBLISHING CHANGES WITH A THANKSGIVING SLANT

Publishing is in a constant state of flux, always stirred up worse by strong personalities flexing, ranting, projecting the end of the world. And unless you choose to spend eight hours a day trying to understand all sides, you won't ever grasp the details. So don't try.

Some folks may tell me ,like they do in their political rants that I'm not dedicated enough to the craft if I don't fight to stay abreast of the issues. In other words, choose a side. To them I say . . . why are you wasting so much time? Timem you could spend writinge?

Amazon, B&N, Hachette, indie publishing - it's complicated. It's change . . . and growing pains. Progress hurts, enduring its own version growing pains. Some say , "No, this time is different." Well, duh. Change is different. Paperback books were "different" in the 1930s. Ebooks. Print on demand. Like a seashore, the movement never ends, and the sand never stays in the same place.

To simplify it I can compare the conflict to that of my chickens (don't laugh, seriously). They do okay until you throw in one or two new birds. Then the whole pecking order gets turned on its ear and squabbles ensue. Sometimes there's blood. Eventually, they accept the fact that the change will not go away, it's here to stay, and the birds begin to re-sort the pecking order to define a new norm. Sounds silly, but a lot of change can appear rather silly when you listen and watch how the players behave.

Sometimes I just want to be on the side that acts the most grown-up.

Growth and change is always painful to someone. Accept the fact that none of this will settle. There will always be an issue that will pit factions against each other. The best course to take is to stay focused and write. Keep an eye on your own goals, being amenable to shift direction as the need arises. It's how you stay sane. Falling into the fighting squabbles online only messes with your day and ruins your writing efforts.

Turn off the noise, ignore the fights, and write. It applies to publishing, to chickens, and yes, sometimes to Thanksgiving holidays as well.

Stay sane and be happy!

-Hope Clark

Upcoming Book Signings!

Carolina Slade and Edisto Island Mysteries make great presents!

November 22 - 2-4 PM - Westwood Barnes & Noble, Charleston, SC

December 6 - 2-4 PM -Indigo Barnes & Noble, Hilton Head, SC

December 13 - 2-4 PM - Barnes & Noble, Mt Pleasant, SC

WORDS OF SUCCESS

The human soul has still greater need of the ideal
than of the real. It is by the real that we exist;
it is by the ideal that we live.

~ Victor Hugo

MURDER ON EDISTO

A big city detective

A Lowcountry crime

When her husband is murdered by the Russian mob, Boston detective Callie Jean Morgan suffers a mental break and relinquishes her badge to return home to South Carolina. She has no idea how to proceed with her life, but her son deserves to move on with his, so she relocates them to the family vacation home.

But the day they arrive on Edisto Beach, Callie finds her childhood mentor and elderly neighbor murdered. Her fragile sanity is threatened when the murderer taunts her, and the home that was to be her sanctuary is repeatedly violated. Callie loses her fight to walk away from law enforcement as she becomes the only person able to pursue the culprit who's turned the coastal paradise into a paranoid patch of sand where nobody's safe. But what will it cost her?

http://www.chopeclark.com/

Purchase any of Hope's books and receive a one-year subscription to TOTAL FFW free. Send receipt to hope@fundsforwriters.com

Success Story

If you've enjoyed success from FundsforWriters, we'd love to hear about it. Email your moment to hope@fundsforwriters.com

featured article

Three Ways Social Shares Can Mean More Money For Writers

By Jovell Alingod

The statistical value of your work published online (social shares) matters more than ever. Pay attention to how your articles are socially redistributed, shared, and liked.

Shivani Sharma, CEO of Firefly Creative Inc. stated in a blog for tech-savvy marketers and business owners (http://b2b-marketing-mentor.softwareadvice.com/hiring-freelancers-for-marketing-0314/ ) that businesses should look for freelance writers who know how to write content that engages the target audience. What does this mean for you as a freelancer? It means it's time you leveraged those social shares, or the impact, of your articles to increase your future income.

To get started, learn how to collect your social shares data:

1. Use spreadsheets

Excel or Google Docs should work fine. In your spreadsheet, list your published articles in the first column, then assign a column for each social media share option, i.e. Facebook shares, likes, Twitter shares, LinkedIn likes, blog comments, Google + shares, and other platforms that show on the share buttons of the site you've published on. Update this document at least monthly.

2. Use Contently.com

This free platform for writers can help you showcase a collection of your bylined articles and track their engagement growth at the same time. You just need to register, list, and link your articles within it. Contently will automatically pull the social stats from the sites where your articles are published.

Now that you have your data, use the data to increase your income:

1. Ask for a raise from current clients

Asking for a rate increase carries the risk of losing a client, but now that you have data to back up your demand, you can prove how your articles helped their site and more importantly, their business. For this particular purpose, you could track the articles you've written for that client's site alone and show how your influence becomes theirs.

2. Justify (or negotiate) your rates with potential clients

Potential clients will haggle for lower rates. Next time you negotiate your rate, use your social shares data to show the impact of your work on websites and businesses you've already written for. You have the numbers to show your value, proof of what you accomplished for other websites which reflects on what you can do for the potential client. Show them you're a business investment instead of just a writing expense.

3. Attract better paying clients

Lastly, use data to analyze which articles did well and why. Review the ones receiving the most engagement. What words did you use in your headline? Did you share personal stories or interview experts? Was the topic unique or controversial?

Then pitch a guest post to medium or big sites, writing the post with the same style and tone you used in your most engaging articles. Just remember to follow the guidelines of the site you're guest posting on.

The types of post that receive the most shares are almost the same as reported by Buzzsumo in this post (http://okdork.com/2014/04/21/why-content-goes-viral-what-analyzing-100-millions-articles-taught-us/?hvid=41eiUq). So it's likely your article with the headline and format similar to your most engaged article will receive the same attention.

With social sharing we see the effect our words have on readers and use it to improve our craft. But it can also be our means to earning more income.

BIO:
Jovell Alingod is a freelance writer helping businesses create helpful content for the web. Grab her free resources to help you improve your web writing skills.

https://plus.google.com/+JovellAlingod/posts
http://www.jovellalingod.com/

competitions

MONA SCHREIBER PRIZE FOR HUMOR
http://www.bradschreiber.com/mona.htm
$5 ENTRY FEE.
Writers of comedic essays, articles, short stories, poetry, shopping lists and other forms are invited to submit. Limit 750 words. Deadline December 1, 2014. 1st: $500. 2nd: $250. 3rd: $100.

THE MEADOW NOVELLA PRIZE
http://www.tmcc.edu/meadow/submit/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
The winner of the contest will receive $500 and publication in our annual print edition of the journal. Deadline February 1, 2015. Submissions should be between 18,000 and 35,000 words.

GEMINI MAGAZINE POETRY OPEN
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/poetryopen.html
$5 ENTRY FEE.
Grand prize $1,000, second prize $100, four honorable mentions at $25 each. All six finalists will be published. No restrictions on subject, style or length. Deadline January 2, 2015.

AMY LEVY PRIZE
http://jewishquarterly.org/jq-wingate-prize/wingate-prize-2015/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Entrants, 30 years old or under, can only submit one entry of 5,000 words or less by Sunday 1 March 2015. This piece of work must be a previously unpublished piece of fiction, on a Jewish theme. Winner gets £1,000, a week-long writing retreat, a mentor for one year, and a residency at Jewish Quarterly.

TIME AND PLACE CONTEST
http://www.timeandplaceprize.com
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 30, 2014. Every summer, the hosts of the Time and Place Prize in Gourin, France, provide a lucky writer with round-trip airfare, a month's stay in a beautiful cottage in Brittany, plus meals--all so that he or she can have the perfect place and window of time to get some real writing done. Requirements: an unpublished manuscript (poetry, nonfiction, or fiction) of no more than 5,000 words.

GRANTS

ALASKAN ARTIST GRANTS
http://www.rasmuson.org/index.php?switch=viewpage&pageid=92
1) Distinguished Artist Award: One award of $40,000 will be given to a mature artist of recognized stature with a history of creative excellence and accomplishment in the arts.

2) Project Awards of up to $7,500 will be given to emerging, mid-career, and mature artists for specific, short-term projects that have a clear benefit to the artist and the development of his/her work.

3) Artist Fellowships of $18,000 each will be given to mid-career or mature artists to focus their energy and attention for a one-year period on developing their creative work.

The disciplines are choreography, crafts, folk and traditional arts, literary arts/scriptwork, and performing arts. Deadline March 1, 2015.

HARPO NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.harpofoundation.org/fellowships/
This Fellowship program was established in 2011 to support the development of artists and the potential for inter-cultural dialog. Each year, the Foundation awards two residency fellowships to Native American artists at the Vermont Studio Center. Each Fellow receives a one-month residency, which includes room and board, a private studio, and a $500 travel stipend. Deadline February 15, 2015.

WRITERS' ROOM OF BOSTON FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.writersroomofboston.org/
Every year, The Writers' Room of Boston supports four emerging local writers who need financial support to secure a quiet place to develop their work. Fellowship recipients receive full membership to The Writers' Room for 12 months (February through January) at no cost. Members enjoy 24-hour access to a beautiful light-filled work space in downtown Boston and the opportunity to be part of an engaged community of serious writers.
Awards for the Emerging Writer Fellowship Program are based upon the quality of a submitted writing sample, a project description, a CV or resume, and a statement of need. The Fellowships are open to writers working in any genre or form. Fellows must be committed to using the Room on a regular basis throughout the 12-month period. Deadline December 31, 2014.

PROMISING BEGINNINGS
http://kathyide.com/contest/
A full scholarship to the 2015 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference (an $897 value!).
There is NO FEE to enter this contest. It is open to both published and unpublished writers, regardless of whether you've previously attended a Mount Hermon conference. Submis the first five pages of an unpublished book manuscript (self-published OK). Deadline November 30, 2014.

FREELANCE MARKETS

MY SPOTLIGHT: KANADA
http://myspotlightkanada.com/about-myspotlight-kanada/writers-guideline/
MySpotlight: Kanada is a modern Canadian tourism magazine developed for the German market. It is mostly written in German. We focus on presenting Lodges & Resorts, as well as smaller Canadian tourism regions to readers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in a story-telling and compelling way. Our editorial focus is set on the Great Canadian Outdoors, and features seasonal outdoor activities and adventures. We also feature stories about people, Canadian life-style, travel experiences, history, culinary aspects, and unusual travel tips that exceed the standard information you will find in a regular travel guide. Fees are typically .27 CAD$ per word for first international right for magazine content. For website/blog articles the fees are .05 CAD$ per word for first international rights.

PACIFIC STANDARD
http://www.psmag.com/write-us
Pacific Standard publications include a bimonthly print magazine and a daily website--PSmag.com -- that put social and behavioral science research into lively, intelligent conversation with the news and the national debate. We are a great home for writers who can tell deeply reported, gripping tales while plumbing the intellectual, theoretical, and empirical context that surrounds them. We have a particular interest in stories covering economics, society and justice, education, and the environment.

OVERLAND
http://overland.org.au/submit/pitch-to-overland/
Overland is always looking for nonfiction pieces, especially for its online magazine. Each fortnight or so, we will list particular subjects that seem interesting - though we consider pitches on any topics. You can pitch to us on one of the topics on the website, or submit completed articles (of between 500 and 1,000 words) to us via our submissions page. Pays up to $400.

CHICKEN SOUP: VOLUNTEERING AND GIVING BACK
http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story
Whether you are a first time volunteer or you have been volunteering for years; whether you are a hands-on volunteer or you work or donate to a charitable organization, you can make a positive impact in this world. If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and the right to resell it. Limit 1,200 words. Deadline February 15, 2015.

DESOTO MAGAZINE
http://desotomagazine.com/contributor-submission-guidelines/
The monthly magazine explores life in the South, rejoicing in the unique and memorable places, people, taste, and culture of the region. Regular features include timely topics on the arts, outdoors, food, gardening, history, etc. Length 900-1,000 words for feature stories; 500-600 for essays; and 600-800 for departments. Pays 15 cents/word for original, unpublished material. An upscale lifestyles publication focused on stories about life in Mississippi, Memphis and the Southeast.

JOBS

UNIVERSITY WRITER
Location Santa Clara University
https://jobs.scu.edu/postings/2223
Write, proof, and edit for University print and online content, including Web features, email announcements, brochures, fliers, bulletins, invitations, and mailers. Audiences include prospective students, parents, alumni, and both prospective and current donors.

publishers/agents

BARRELHOUSE
http://www.barrelhousemag.com/#!submissions/cx9l
Barrelhouse, which publishes a biannual literary journal and whose stories have appeared in the Best American Nonrequired Reading, has opened a 14-day reading period to curate poetry for its next poetry book(s). The publisher invites poets to submit a manuscript, 48 pages and up, on any theme and in any verse style. Barrelhouse pays the poet $500 upon publication, and royalties later. The initial print run of the poetry chapbook is 1K copies. Deadline November 30, 2014.

GHOSTWOODS BOOKS
http://www.gwdbooks.com/calls-for-submissions.html
If you have a book you feel is right for Ghostwoods Books but it hasn't been requested and doesn't fit any current calls for submissions, please send a one paragraph email to submissions@gwdbooks.com telling us why the book is a good fit and what you think will make people want to read it. All genres / styles are welcome; ditto self-published works. We're not currently accepting non-fiction, unless it fits in with our fiction.

THE POISONED PENCIL
http://thepoisonedpencil.com/about/
The Poisoned Pencil is a young adult mystery publisher committed to publishing original, high-quality mystery books for teens and adults. Founded in 2012, the Pencil is an imprint of Poisoned Pen Press - one of the largest publishers of mysteries in the country.

POISONED PEN PRESS
http://www.poisonedpenpress.com/submissions/
Poisoned Pen Press will open for submissions twice yearly, once during the month of October, and once during the spring. During October, we will accept submissions for regular publication. During the spring submissions period we will only be open to those entering our Discover Mystery first book contest. We are a traditional mystery press. We do not publish works outside of the mystery genre. We consider works between 60,000-90,000 words. We seldom consider writers living outside the USA (because of the high cost of marketing and promotion). We do not publish short stories or collections.

RIO NUEVO PUBLISHERS
http://www.rionuevo.com
At Rio Nuevo Publishers we present the best of the West in words and pictures. Our award-winning books focus on arts and crafts, children's literature, cooking, history, gardening, memoirs, Native America, nature, spirituality, and travel.